VANUATU GLORY! Going where few go, casting out demons, winning over witchcraft, and more.
**This is from Terri Morrow, recently visited Vanuatu in the S. Pacific. She got a serious staff infection, almost died, and lives to share this great report. She is a mighty warrior.
Think about inviting her to your church to speak.
My dear family,
Once again I want to begin with thanks to those of you who covered me in your
prayers. I believe I am alive, in great part due to them. I tell you once again, I
lean heavily upon the prayers of the saints, and this time was more critical than
any previous trip. Adversity was not scarce; but neither was the grace of God! I am
truly learning that in my weakest, His strength is made perfect.
If I may, I would like to repeat what I learned concerning "His strength being
made perfect." To be made perfect is also to be made complete, and being made
complete is doing that which you were designed to do. Take for example a lock and a
key; the lock on it's own is a finished object. It is fully a lock. As well, a key
on it's own is also a finished object. But neither the lock nor the key are
complete until the key is placed in the lock, and turned, thus being made perfect
by doing the thing which it was designed to do. So, as well, I have discovered that
when I am without any strength of my own, His is made complete by my utter
dependence, just as a lock is opened only by complete dependence on the key. I want
to become weaker.
On this trip, my husband accompanied me for the first week, getting a small idea
of what it is I do, where I go, and the people with whom I am engaged. I am
thankful for this, because of his continued support of the ministry to which I have
been called.
After he returned home, Morris (my Ni-Van son)and I began our work, beginning
with the Yakel, a tribe that has been seared upon my heart, forever I think. There
we camped, and there the Lord made history.
Throughout Vanuatu, there are Nakamal's or meeting places for the men only. It is
there, that every evening the men, chiefs, elders, and others, gather to discuss
village issues and their governance while having shells of kava, a narcotic drink
made from the root of the Kava plant. Never is a woman allowed to speak in a
nakamal. She may be represented by a man, but she never speaks. And particularly,
one does not stand and address men, while the men sit. At least not until now. The
Lord
so opened the door that I was allowed to do both, as I delivered the gospel of our
Lord Jesus Christ. On two occasions I stood and told these dear Yakel men who Jesus
is. I never even knew, that as I was sharing the gospel among
these men,
most of them wearing only a penis sheath, that the Lord was breaking tradition and
custom and that never before in their history had such a thing
happened.
And even greater, Morris and I are the first missionaries to bring the
gospel to the Yakel!
Among the Yakel tribe, there are different villages. We were invited into one of the
villages by a young chief. There I preached, and there some
were born
again. The next day they were baptized by my dear son Morris as I lay on a mat in a
hut, very sick from an extensive staph infection. He returned
with great
jubilation as he related to me the story of the baptism, which was the first one he
had done. It is in that village that I have been asked to come
and live,
and teach them how to follow Jesus. I was even shown the spot where they would build
my hut. My heart immediately cries, "Yes!" but can't say I have
heard
from heaven.
We also ministered in other ares of Vanuatu, including a group of islands known as
Banks, where most of our ministry was that of casting out devils.
One
woman in particular had been sick for 9 years, as a result of witchcraft. When we were
taken to her, her flesh had begun to rot, and a terrible
stench filled
the hut. She was soon to die, unable to walk, feed herself, or even to hold up her
head without aid from her husband. When the devil was cast out of
her, she
ate, drank, and walked a few feet. The next morning she walked to her kitchen and
prepared her breakfast.
We traveled later to Ambrym, the witchcraft capitol of the whole nation, to one of
two villages where it is the strongest. It was there that a
great war
took place over our very lives, and it was there that I saw a devotion to the gospel
by my son, that I don't believe I have ever personally
witnessed. He
traveled to this island knowing that there was a death assignment for any man from
Tanna. No Tanna man goes there, except through the government, and
in
groups. He is from Tanna, and knew that this trip could cost his life. He went.
These are the first things that stand out as I attempt to relate almost 2 months of
ministry. Not one step was made outside of prayer. We had no
plans,
because every one we made, never came to pass.
We preached, cast out devils, saw the sick healed, and souls born into the kingdom.
We were on 8 islands, most by planes, and one by outrigger
canoe, from
which we returned by foot at low tide. We rejoiced, wept, endured the testing of our
faith, were at times hungry, and often blessed by the kindness
and
generosity of believers and unbelievers alike. We were the target of witches and their
sorcery, but we were surrounded by angels, the prayers of the
saints,
and the blood of Jesus.
I can't comprehend a life lived differently than this. I love depending on Jesus. I
love knowing that I can't possibly make happen the things I
see Him
do. There is so much freedom in that. He can do it. He wants to do it. He will do it,
and He does do it.
You don't have to do anything except....GET OUT OF THE BOAT!
Forever grateful and forever His,
Terri Morrow
Think about inviting her to your church to speak.
My dear family,
Once again I want to begin with thanks to those of you who covered me in your
prayers. I believe I am alive, in great part due to them. I tell you once again, I
lean heavily upon the prayers of the saints, and this time was more critical than
any previous trip. Adversity was not scarce; but neither was the grace of God! I am
truly learning that in my weakest, His strength is made perfect.
If I may, I would like to repeat what I learned concerning "His strength being
made perfect." To be made perfect is also to be made complete, and being made
complete is doing that which you were designed to do. Take for example a lock and a
key; the lock on it's own is a finished object. It is fully a lock. As well, a key
on it's own is also a finished object. But neither the lock nor the key are
complete until the key is placed in the lock, and turned, thus being made perfect
by doing the thing which it was designed to do. So, as well, I have discovered that
when I am without any strength of my own, His is made complete by my utter
dependence, just as a lock is opened only by complete dependence on the key. I want
to become weaker.
On this trip, my husband accompanied me for the first week, getting a small idea
of what it is I do, where I go, and the people with whom I am engaged. I am
thankful for this, because of his continued support of the ministry to which I have
been called.
After he returned home, Morris (my Ni-Van son)and I began our work, beginning
with the Yakel, a tribe that has been seared upon my heart, forever I think. There
we camped, and there the Lord made history.
Throughout Vanuatu, there are Nakamal's or meeting places for the men only. It is
there, that every evening the men, chiefs, elders, and others, gather to discuss
village issues and their governance while having shells of kava, a narcotic drink
made from the root of the Kava plant. Never is a woman allowed to speak in a
nakamal. She may be represented by a man, but she never speaks. And particularly,
one does not stand and address men, while the men sit. At least not until now. The
Lord
so opened the door that I was allowed to do both, as I delivered the gospel of our
Lord Jesus Christ. On two occasions I stood and told these dear Yakel men who Jesus
is. I never even knew, that as I was sharing the gospel among
these men,
most of them wearing only a penis sheath, that the Lord was breaking tradition and
custom and that never before in their history had such a thing
happened.
And even greater, Morris and I are the first missionaries to bring the
gospel to the Yakel!
Among the Yakel tribe, there are different villages. We were invited into one of the
villages by a young chief. There I preached, and there some
were born
again. The next day they were baptized by my dear son Morris as I lay on a mat in a
hut, very sick from an extensive staph infection. He returned
with great
jubilation as he related to me the story of the baptism, which was the first one he
had done. It is in that village that I have been asked to come
and live,
and teach them how to follow Jesus. I was even shown the spot where they would build
my hut. My heart immediately cries, "Yes!" but can't say I have
heard
from heaven.
We also ministered in other ares of Vanuatu, including a group of islands known as
Banks, where most of our ministry was that of casting out devils.
One
woman in particular had been sick for 9 years, as a result of witchcraft. When we were
taken to her, her flesh had begun to rot, and a terrible
stench filled
the hut. She was soon to die, unable to walk, feed herself, or even to hold up her
head without aid from her husband. When the devil was cast out of
her, she
ate, drank, and walked a few feet. The next morning she walked to her kitchen and
prepared her breakfast.
We traveled later to Ambrym, the witchcraft capitol of the whole nation, to one of
two villages where it is the strongest. It was there that a
great war
took place over our very lives, and it was there that I saw a devotion to the gospel
by my son, that I don't believe I have ever personally
witnessed. He
traveled to this island knowing that there was a death assignment for any man from
Tanna. No Tanna man goes there, except through the government, and
in
groups. He is from Tanna, and knew that this trip could cost his life. He went.
These are the first things that stand out as I attempt to relate almost 2 months of
ministry. Not one step was made outside of prayer. We had no
plans,
because every one we made, never came to pass.
We preached, cast out devils, saw the sick healed, and souls born into the kingdom.
We were on 8 islands, most by planes, and one by outrigger
canoe, from
which we returned by foot at low tide. We rejoiced, wept, endured the testing of our
faith, were at times hungry, and often blessed by the kindness
and
generosity of believers and unbelievers alike. We were the target of witches and their
sorcery, but we were surrounded by angels, the prayers of the
saints,
and the blood of Jesus.
I can't comprehend a life lived differently than this. I love depending on Jesus. I
love knowing that I can't possibly make happen the things I
see Him
do. There is so much freedom in that. He can do it. He wants to do it. He will do it,
and He does do it.
You don't have to do anything except....GET OUT OF THE BOAT!
Forever grateful and forever His,
Terri Morrow
